Safe Alcohol Consumption

As many as 90 percent of adults in the U.S. have had experience with alcoholic beverages, and 60 percent of males and 30 percent of females have had one or more alcohol-related adverse life event.

The following tips are recommendations for safe alcohol consumption:

1. Do not drink and drive, use heavy machinery, or combine alcohol with other medications.  Alcohol impairs the ability to react, causes drowsiness, and affects judgment.

2. People with a family history of alcoholism, or a prior history of alcohol abuse, are at increased risk of alcoholism.  People in recovery from an alcohol-related disorder should not drink. For individuals in recovery from alcohol abuse or dependence, small amounts of alcohol typically lead to relapse.  People who are younger than the legal drinking age should not consume alcohol.

3. Pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant should not drink at all. Alcohol consumption interferes with growth and development of the fetus, causing reduced birth weight, birth defects, learning and behavior disorders, and newborn distress.

For most adults, moderate alcohol use - up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people - generally does not result in health problems. However, alcoholism, or alcohol addiction, is a progressive disorder.

Alcoholism may include the following symptoms – craving: a strong need or urge to drink; loss of control: not being able to stop once drinking has begun; physical dependence: withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, sweating, shakiness; and tolerance: the need to drink greater amounts to get “high” or experience and altered state of mind.